With a war against Iraq perhaps days away, Americans are backing President Bush but remain split over launching an attack without United Nations support, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows.

By a 2-to-1 ratio, Americans favor invading Iraq with U.S. ground troops to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Not since November 2001 have they approved so overwhelmingly. Nearly six in 10 say they're ready for such an invasion "in the next week or two."

But that support drops off if the U.N. backing being sought by the United States, Britain and Spain Monday is not obtained. If the U.N. Security Council rejects a resolution paving the way for military action, only 54% of Americans favor a U.S. invasion. And if the Bush administration does not seek a final Security Council vote, support for a war drops to 47%.

"Americans believe it is always better to have as much allied support as you can get before going to war," says Merle Black, a political scientist at Emory University in Atlanta. "If Bush decides to go without U.N backing, he has to hope that quick military success redefines the questions. It's a risky strategy."

While many Americans are uneasy about a war without U.N. backing, most don't blame Bush for the impasse, even in the face of heavy U.S. and international media criticism that he botched the diplomatic job. Most Americans say Bush is doing a better job handling the Iraq situation than the U.N. is.

By a ratio of more than 2-to-1, most Americans say the Bush administration has done a good job handling diplomatic efforts with other nations. Most focus the blame on France and Russia, which have led efforts to block a U.N. resolution authorizing war.

USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup poll

1. Would you favor invading Iraq with U.S. ground troops in the next week or two to remove Saddam Hussein from power?* Favor: 58% * Oppose: 40%

2. Do you think the United Nations is doing a good job in handling the situation with Iraq?* Good job: 43% * Poor job: 53%

3. Do you approve of the way President Bush is handling the situation with Iraq?* Approve: 56% * Disapprove: 41%

Polling analysts warn against drawing long-term predictions from prewar polls. Much can change once the shooting starts — and after it ends.

Just before allied forces began bombing Iraq in 1991, the first President Bush had 55% support for going to war. That shot up to 80% when it became clear allied forces were winning easily. But it did little for the elder Bush's re-election bid in 1992. Euphoria over the victory in the Gulf gave way to pessimism about the economy, and that helped elect Bill Clinton.

The younger Bush faces similar economic problems, regardless of the outcome of the Iraq crisis. While 58% of Americans approve of the job he's doing, just 44% favor his handling of the economy.

"In a lot of ways, what happens in the postwar period is going to be more important than what happens in the war itself," says Herb Asher, a political scientist at Ohio State University.

Mark Rozell, a political scientist at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., says the poll reflects the tendency of Americans to side with their president and military as combat draws near. "It's the classic rallying-around-the-flag. They may be uneasy about going to war, but they feel that criticizing now would be unpatriotic."

The poll suggests that Americans' patience is wearing thin. Nearly six in 10 say diplomatic efforts to win international support have taken too much time.

"I believe we went far enough with inspections," says Leroy Hanson, 69, a retiree in Orange City, Fla. "The U.N. is being very weak and not holding up their end of it."

Public attitudes toward France, Russia and Germany have eroded sharply. More than two in three Americans say France is being unreasonable in its opposition to a resolution that could lead to war. More than half say France is "stabbing the U.S. in the back."